Thursday, June 13, 2013

At last, some positive surprises

Associated Press

Rarely does a team enjoy a successful season receiving contributions only from those players who were expected all along to do it.

Look no further than the 2012 Nationals, who won 98 games not only behind the star power of Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Ryan Zimmerman and Jordan Zimmermann but also thanks to the unlikely performances of rookies Tyler Moore, Steve Lombardozzi and — yes — Bryce Harper. None of those players was being counted on to play a major role when that season began. All wound up becoming critical to an NL East title.

Why has the 2013 season been such a disappointment for the Nationals to date? Obviously, injuries to the likes of Harper, Strasburg, Jayson Werth, Wilson Ramos and others has been significant. But so has the utter lack of contributions from players who weren't expected to contribute in the first place.

That's what made last night's 5-1 victory in Colorado feel like more than a random Wednesday night victory at Coors Field. It wasn't just that the Nationals won the game to reach the .500 mark again. It was that they did so behind several players who barely registered a mention in spring training, if at all.

The pitching stars? Why, Ross Ohlendorf and Ian Krol, of course. Those two combined to hold the Rockies to two hits over seven innings. The offensive stars? Well, Ian Desmond did drive in three runs. But Anthony Rendon had a pair of hits and an RBI. And Jeff Kobernus and Jhonatan Solano combined to reach base four times.

Not exactly how Mike Rizzo and Davey Johnson drew it up on April 1, huh?

This kind of game, though, is exactly what the Nationals have needed all season. They've needed somebody unexpected to step in and deliver a big-time performance in a key spot. Last night, they got several.

Ohlendorf was nothing short of masterful, attacking Colorado's intimidating lineup with the kind of confidence you'd never have expected from a journeyman just summoned from Class AAA. The 30-year-old right-hander was so impressive, Johnson afterward told reporters he's going to try to find a way to keep him around, even with Strasburg and Ross Detwiler about to return from the disabled list and fill out the rest of the Nats' rotation.

Krol, meanwhile, continued his impressive first week in the big leagues, retiring the side in the seventh. The left-hander — the player to be named later in January's Michael Morse trade — has now retired 11 of the 12 major-league batters he's faced, five of them via strikeout.

Add Fernando Abad to the mix, and the two new lefties in the Nationals bullpen have combined to toss 12 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out 14.

Those two pitchers were afterthoughts in Nats camp this spring. (Krol wasn't even acquired until late-March.) Rendon, on the other hand, drew plenty of attention in his second spring training as a professional, impressing with his advanced approach at the plate and rock-solid defense at third base.

Even so, the idea that Rendon would become a significant contributor to the Nationals this season still seemed remote, given his lack of minor-league experience and what appeared to be a stacked lineup at the big-league level, leaving no spot for the 22-year-old. But one week after he was summoned from Syracuse to take over as the everyday second baseman, Rendon looks very much like one of the keys to the Nats' attempt to get back in the pennant race over the summer.

Confident and relaxed in the wake of his first, brief stint in the majors, Rendon is now 9-for-21 with four doubles and four RBI in six games since his latest promotion. He's already racked up 13 total bases in six games. For comparison's sake, Danny Espinosa (the man he replaced in the field and in the lineup) had 13 total bases over his final 19 games before landing on the DL.

Kobernus, too, has become a pleasant surprise, taking advantage of a couple of starting assignments in the last week, going 3-for-6 with two walks.

This is what it takes to win games over the course of a 162-game season. While the stars and the guys who were expected all along to carry the load are still going to turn in the biggest contributions, it's near-impossible to make it to October without also getting help from these unexpected sources.

Will Ohlendorf and Kobernus and Krol and Rendon continue to have a significant, positive impact on the Nationals' fortunes over the rest of the season? We'll see.

This much we do know: The Nats are going to need plenty more performances like they got last night in Denver, from the kind of players who seemingly came out of nowhere to lead this team to one of its most-impressive (and maybe most-important) wins of the season.

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comments:

Now this is what I love waking up to! The Nats are walking, scoring those base runners , and holding a lead. In Coors, without home runs or Bryce. I would like to see Bryce become a welcome addition to a team that knows it can play without him if they need to. It will take something off of his shoulders if he does not feel that he has to save them. Love the adjustments that have been made!

I had the weirdest dream last night. I dreamed that a journeyman retread came out of nowhere to hold the Rocks to 2 hits in Coors Field, and that the Nats offense was so stunned it scored 5 runs to win the game in a laugher.

"Even so, the idea that Rendon would become a significant contributor to the Nationals this season still seemed remote..."

Says who? Mark, read your own thread sometime. There were many others here who made that call, in addition to yours truly. It was a no-brainer, especially considering the alternative, the bearded K machine from Outer Mendozia.

I wonder how many others here have wondered what might have been, had the Nats just kept Rendon in the bigs after Zim returned from the DL and had sent Danny down, instead of Anthony, when it could have made a big difference in the first third of the Nats' season.

Is there anyone left who doesn't yet understand what a unique talent Rizzo had left languishing in the minors while his team was hitting in the .220s?

HaHa!! Or drank!! I watched the replay on Ryan's very long double. How did that not go out? The guys who tangled up out there just about knocked it out and may well have knocked it back in. Crazy. So do we have Ross #1 and Ross #2 or old Ross and young Ross or big Ross and skinny Ross ? Need to define that. I am predicting that Haren's back will act up or he will HRod his hand in a door and go on the DL now. That was just wildly entertaining.

"I am predicting that Haren's back will act up or he will HRod his hand in a door and go on the DL now."

Didn't you predict that they would win last night? Or were you just humoring the ever-faithful Lady Nats who never give up hope, regardless?

Either way Swami, I would not belittle the agony of chronic hangnail syndrome. It can happen any time, in any place, to any Nat on the staff. We saw what it can do an apparently healthy, strong young man, just last year. Far more debilitating that torn rotator cuffs, or broken wrists, hangnail syndrome can recur, without warning, in ways that can be disabling for weeks on end. You can look it up.

I am so sick of hearing about the imminent turnaround after a single win, but......last night's win did feel different. I truly hope it knocks Haren to become the world's most expensive long reliever and Espinosa to a long stay a AAAA. People keep blaming injuries for the Nats' awful play, but they weren't very good even with their starters healthy. The only big loss to injury has been Harper. The biggest problem for the Nats has been their lack of production from their bench/replacements. Last night, while encouraging, was one night. Let's hope we can continue with some more production from Rendon, Ohlendorf, Kobernus, Krol and also hope that Bernadina, Tracy and Lombo wake the hell up. Ive given up on Haren and Espi.

I actually did not predict the win, but with the deck totally stacked against us, the reverse lock was bound to be in effect. It just looked too big and fat and juicy for the Rockies with the spot starter and the 3 players who were in Syracuse very recently. Well played, Nats. We have gone from the media darlings and favorites to win it all , to the surprise upstart winners against Colorado. Wow.

"And the dude( big Ross) just mingles in the dugout chatting it up during the hitting half of the inning!"

They had a shot of him before the game, too, smiling that big grin and shaking everyone's hand that he could reach before he even took the mound. I don't know if he can keep it up, but I sure hope so. He would be good for the bench and the club house, as well.

After Maya, Karns, and Haren, I figured there was no way that option no. 4 would be any better. So glad when I am proven wrong about these things. If not a 5th starter, the Nats have certainly found their "go to" replacement guy if anyone else goes on the DL, or if Haren continues to fail.

Rizzo does it, again, stacking the arms in the minors and giving them the chance to prove him right, when the time came. Well, one out of four isn't great, but you only need one.

Especially these cheap guys who want to prove something. Their experience is valuable. What they don't have left in skill, they make up for in smarts. As for Krol and Abad? Let's not forget Rizzo's scouting background. HRod and Duke had their chance and did not work out. These guys are looking good- talk about a nice surprise!

"Confident and relaxed in the wake of his first, brief stint in the majors, Rendon is now 9-for-21 with four doubles and four RBI in six games since his latest promotion."

That can be updated to 11 for 25, with five doubles and five RBIs in seven games since his return, after last night. It's like he is still playing in AA. Take away that 1 for 15 start from his first trip to the bigs, and the kid has been the best hitter on the team, ever since, by a wide, wide margin. All he does is square the ball up, time and time again. Line drives to LF, to CF, to RF. Line drives.

He will lead the Nats in hits, BA, doubles, and OBP next year. It will be between Rendon and Harper as to who wins the Nats OPS title. That would be a fun contest for them and for Nats fans to watch. I would take Rendon in that matchup.

Rendon and Harper will carry the Nats' offense, once they get together on the field, and stay healthy. There will be 5 teams who will forever regret that they did not select Anthony Rendon when they had the chance. Give Rizzo credit for taking advantage of the opportunity when those other 5 guys handed it to him.

Interesting thing about Espi-- Davey said Danny would resume baseball activities today by playing 3 innings in Syracuse. ( his new home) Danny said he has already resumed baseball activities and is making a " rehab start" today. Denial is not just a river in Egypt. And can we just keep Eck far, far away from Rendon? Please? Don't ruin him.

The point was made that Kobernus couldn't go too far because if Zimm's fly had been caught, he (Kobernus) would have had to retreat back to first, and with Zimmerman in the basepaths, he would have had to follow Z back to first to avoid passing Z and being called out automatically.

But is that true? Say Kobernus had been ten feet past second base when the ball was caught, and Zimm right behind him. Does the rulebook say Z would have had to retrace all the way back to first? Couldn't he simply have trotted back to the dugout taking a path between the pitcher's mound and first base (okay, the Nats dugout is on the third base side, but whatever...).

In short, what does Zimmerman have to do on the basepaths once he's been called out?

In this morning's WaPo there's mention of Espi starting his rehab assignment, increasing his playing time two innings at a time. The notion that Espi is coming back any time soon is troubling. I hope the truth is more like Espi in AAA until he shows he can at least hit AAA pitching. There's no place for him on the Nats unless Rendon goes to AAA, which would be crazy. Espi isn't a "bench player." His ego is WAY too big for that.

Nice win last night.. Good on Ross O for coming up big? Could he be this year's Lannan? Coming up big when we need it. That was really good, do like that the baby Nats are coming up big (not that Ross O is a baby). Good on Kobernus showing he has some value.

Muddy- I think the organization and Danny are seeing this situation differently. They cannot option him until he is off the DL- I think that is their plan. So they see it as his new home, he sees it as a rehab assignment. That is just my opinion. We will have to wait and see. But Rizzo said he would need time to find his swing. I think rehab assignments can be quite long. Will they call it that so he can save face? Funny how no one is worrying about Tyler's ego, especially not Tyler. They just cannot bring him back until he can show that he can be better than Rendon .

Laddie Blah Blah said... "Even so, the idea that Rendon would become a significant contributor to the Nationals this season still seemed remote..."

Says who? Mark, read your own thread sometime. There were many others here who made that call, in addition to yours truly. It was a no-brainer, especially considering the alternative, the bearded K machine from Outer Mendozia.

I wonder how many others here have wondered what might have been, had the Nats just kept Rendon in the bigs after Zim returned from the DL and had sent Danny down, instead of Anthony, when it could have made a big difference in the first third of the Nats' season.

Is there anyone left who doesn't yet understand what a unique talent Rizzo had left languishing in the minors while his team was hitting in the .220s?

June 13, 2013 6:28 AM _________________________________

You are 100% correct. Of course any time you or one of the few others suggested it, there was that one person who kept saying there was no way.

I always liked the quotes that "you always find a position for the a guy who can hit" and "go with the hot bat in the short term". That's how it works and the worst case situation you send him back down if he doesn't produce but the bar was set so low when the guy we BEGGED Rizzo to replace him with was a 2nd baseman hitting around .150

Laddie Blah Blah, we talk about intangibles all the time and how when a certain player is slumping he can put the player hitting in front of him in a slump. That seems to be what happened with Ian Desmond.

Is Desi now seeing better pitches having Rendon batting behind him or just feeling more confident.

For all the people who swooned over Lannan's escape acts last season, Ohlender was better last night than Lannan in any game in 2012. I suspect the function motion had much to do with it but it will be quite a while before hitters have enough exposure to it to figure it out.

Cedeno is the first reliever to go back down, followed by Davis. I believe there is a rule -- Ghost or JD will know -- that an injury call-up lasting less than 20 days doesn't count for option purposes. So the Nats have that long to look at Ohlendorf before they risk losing him by sending him back down. [I think.]

I suppose Stammen could be the long reliever in games Johnson thinks he might win, and Ohlendor in games when Johnson wants to take a headache powder and go sit in his office with the lights off.

There is no way I am reading over 480 comments on the game thread so if this is repeated somewhere earlier I apologize.

WHOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!

OK - only one game but I loved several things.1.Obviously, having Warren/Whitey/Walter etc make his first start and do so well. To hold these guys like he did was just a joy to watch. I loved the shots in the dugout that were mentioned earlier. He was honestly happy to be here and it showed (just like Rendon looks happy to be at the plate each and every time).

2. Davey bringing Krol into this situation shows me that he and Abad are here to stay and that Davey can now manage his pen similar to last year.

3. It's early but I like what Kobernus brings which is speed, the ability to play infield and outfield, speed, and he draws walks, oh did I mention his speed.

4. Agree with Laddie and others that Espinoza certainly can't just be given his starting job back no matter how well he does in AAA. Rendon can lose the job for sure by going into a deep slump but I just don't see it happening. At best, Rendon keeps producing until Bryce returns and then it really should get interesting. At worst, we bring Danny up as another bench/utility player. Really am wondering how long Tracy hangs on. Great guy, good for the clubhouse but Davey has to see that the young guys are helping and he is not.

Ever see that Abner Doubleday guy, Candide? He was pretty good until he tore up his knee in the Ft. Sumpter thing.

I remember the last time I saw him pitch. They claimed his fastball topped 100 mph, but the radar guns never registered anything above 97 (of course, in those days, radar wasn't nearly as advanced as today). His problem was he thought he had a good curve, and insisted on experimenting with it in crucial situations, always with disastrous results. John McGraw - (I remember seeing him the last game he managed) finally got fed up and benched him. He was released at the end of the season and pitched in the low minors for a couple of years, most memorably with the Iola Gasbags of the Missouri Valley League, where he once struck out 11 batters in a row during a 19-inning game that was eventually ruled a 1-1 tie, called on account of darkness.

He could have been a great one. Ended up in the Union Army during the Late Unpleasantness.

Poor Danny. He needs an intervention so he can get fixed up and start again later. Easier on his body, eventually easier on his ego and a faster way tk get back to the Danny who was killer when he first came up.

Sjm308......re: the in game threads. I've pretty much stopped even reading them, much less posting as I realized that Swift Eagle was right. The more one reads, the more one loses baseball intelligence.

People keep blaming injuries for the Nats' awful play, but they weren't very good even with their starters healthy.

How can you tell? The Nats only played something like 8 (or was it 6) games all year with their projected starting lineup coming out of spring training (meaning: a lineup that included Werth, RZim, Harper, Ramos)

OK, time on my hands this morning.Looked at a potential 25 man roster and while 21 or 22 positions are pretty much locks, there are some situations that puzzle me.

Right now LaRoche is playing pretty much every day. I am ok with that but when I release Tracy and send Marrero down I do not have a backup for Adam, so I guess I have to keep one or hope that Moore finds his swing soon. Here are my other 24.

Span-Werth-Harper-Zimm-LaRoche-Desmond-Rendon-SuzukiZimmnn-SS-Gio-Ross D- Haren(I hate this but I just think they will keep him, it's too early to go with Ross O on just one start)Soriano-Clip-Krol-Storen-Abad-Stammen-Ross O.Solano-Lombo-Kobernus-Bernadina- Marrero/Tracy

Jane B- I don't feel sorry for Danny anymore because I think he has gotten way more attention and time than anyone else would have. He needs to get real if he wants things to get better. NatsJack -- game threads have improved recently and I think you know why. I love the humor that some of the posters add and I am usually watching alone so it's fun to have people to share with. We are getting new people from the WaPo because of the new pay wall. Too soon to tell how that will go, but game threads posts are up around 400 or more. I hate the load more message :(. But the conversations have been entertaining and civil.

Wow, thread critics. The thread is supposed to be the place where people have fun giving their view of stuff. Hey, don't read 'em if don't want to but knock off superior "loss of intelligence" stuff. It says a lot about about you than the comments.

I think once Zim is out it doesn't matter where he is as long as he doesn't interfere with the action under 7.09(d) "It is interference by a batter or a runner when -- (d) Any batter or runner who has just been put out hinders or impedes any following play being made on a runner. Such runner shall be declared out for the interference of his teammate" Further interpretation is that if the batter or a runner continues to advance after he has been put out, he shall not by that act alone be considered as confusing, hindering or impeding the fielders.

Now if he passes Kobernus, he's out, but he would be already in the event they catch the ball. If they don't, he's out by rule 7.08(h)7.08Any runner is out when -- (h) He passes a preceding runner before such runner is out

sjm, maybe Marrero at 1st today to give ALR a day off? Werth with a tough 0-5 yesterday and seemed to be running at 3/4 speed. Might be a good day to sit Jayson for a day off and get Bernadina in RF and Kobernus in LF.

I haven't seen enough of Kobernus to decide what he is but he sure might turn out to be an upgrade over Lombardozzi.

NatsJack in Florida said...Sjm308......re: the in game threads. I've pretty much stopped even reading them, much less posting as I realized that Swift Eagle was right. The more one reads, the more one loses baseball intelligence.June 13, 2013 8:12 AM------------------------Guilty as charged!

Amen that - especially on my Android phone. Using Dolphin as my browser - the first time I hit "Load More Comments," it dutifully loads more, but not all of them if there's a bucketload. And then that's the end of the "Load More Comments" buttons, so I can't read to the end of the comments, which officially makes my life not worth living.

sjm308 said...Zimmnn-SS-Gio-Ross D- Haren(I hate this but I just think they will keep him, it's too early to go with Ross O on just one start)Soriano-Clip-Krol-Storen-Abad-Stammen-Ross O.__________________________________

We know what Haren is and you are right we only saw Ohlendorf for 1 start. Why not move Haren to the BP and give Ross O another start.

Look, just about every player in baseball that I've seen, when they hit a tremendous HR shot, takes it easy coming out of the batters box. We see that all the time, on the Nats, all the teams.

In this case RZ hit a tremendous shot, at Coors field, and mistakenly thought it was a HR. (It's 420' to that part of the outfield). I don't blame him for thinking that. And, the key part: since he has a seven-year track record of never being a lollygagger, I don't think criticism of him on that play should go much beyond "whoops, you missed that one RZ".

RZ, like every other baseball player, like every other human, isn't perfect. He's not lazy or a show off, he simply erred in his thinking that it was an obvious HR.

Because, if he hit it to just about any other part of the park, it would have been a HR, and no one would have criticized him, right?

Which means there really wasn't any good reason for Zimm to not be breathing down Kobernus's back. If the ball isn't caught, Z ends up at third, or maybe even an inside-the-park HR. If the ball IS caught, Z steps out of the basepaths and lets Kobernus retreat to first unimpeded.

Granted, he's not hitting this year, but the bench balance would be off without Tracy since the Nats don't really have any lefty to hit homers off the bench. How important that really is, I dunno. It's probably not any more important than going two months with Duke as your only lefty in the bullpen. But Espinosa stinking took away another mostly lefty bat. That's a net gain offensively, but they are still going to want some LH pop on the bench for those hard throwing RH setup and closers if at all possible. Bernadina doesn't really power up much anymore. The case can be made for Brown, but can he hit coming off the bench? There are going to be excuses about whether he could adjust to that role. Marrero's power spike is pretty recent and he's right handed, so I'm guessing it would be more likely for the FO to give Tracy more time to regain something than the other options right now. I think he gets more time than Stairs did.

"Is there anyone left who doesn't yet understand what a unique talent Rizzo had left languishing in the minors while his team was hitting in the .220s?"

Rendon wasn't "languishing in the minors." He only played in 79 minor league games total before he was called up the second time. Contrast that with the other guy on an accelerated path, Bryce Harper, who played 130 minor league games before he came up to stay. And based on the improvement in Rendon's play after his latest callup, it's pretty clear he wasn't quite ready the first time he came up to replace Zimmerman.

I am still predicting a DL stint for Haren as a way of manipulating the rotation , maybe to get the big O another start. Nats have been very creative in the past with their DL use. Watching Haren run, I am pretty sure something hurts.

Wow, thread critics. The thread is supposed to be the place where people have fun giving their view of stuff. Hey, don't read 'em if don't want to but knock off superior "loss of intelligence" stuff. It says a lot about about you than the comments.

Maybe, but have you read some of those comments? Criminy. They aren't even wrong.

They can't give Espinosa his job back, just can't, w/ Rendon hitting .300+. My personal preference would be he spends 2-3 mos. at AAA to even out his stroke and get into a repeatable rhythm at the plate. That requires optioning him and further damaging his very fragile (for a "tough" guy) psyche. If they do bring him up, to be the all-purpose spare infielder, Lombardozzi has to go -- somewhere -- as Kobernus is now one of the spare OFs.

I sense we may be nearing the point at which Espinosa starts complaining and burning his bridges with the team.

A list of RZim's activities that stood out to me last night:-Flawless fielding at 3B, including 5 ground balls of both the ridiculous charging play variety and of the routine throw variety, which has plagued him this year.-A 1-2-3 inning in which all three outs were made by RZim, including two routine grounders with on-target throws.-An RBI double that was inches from being a HR.

Only bad thing I can think to say about RZim last night is he went down looking twice. But, he also walked twice.

It's confusing that RZim's watching that ball has become such a flash point, especially since it wouldn't have changed our run total that inning (2).

I also wanted to repost part of my post game comment in the light of day:

"Good offense, and the potential leaks in the infield were airtight. Rendon was aggressive and on the ball on that DP attempt. Keep it up! Make me look silly for worrying ;)... and keep up the hitting!!!

Zim killed all manner of feeds to first tonight. I don't think I even gasped on the last grounder to him in the 8th."

I was very, very happy about both aspects of our win last night. Zim was really put through the ringer last night (considering his performance thus far) and he never faltered. Maybe Davey was right when he said RZim's shoulder wouldn't be right until June 15.

baseballswami said... HaHa!! Or drank!! I watched the replay on Ryan's very long double. How did that not go out? The guys who tangled up out there just about knocked it out and may well have knocked it back in. Crazy. So do we have Ross #1 and Ross #2 or old Ross and young Ross or big Ross and skinny Ross ? Need to define that. I am predicting that Haren's back will act up or he will HRod his hand in a door and go on the DL now. That was just wildly entertaining.

Me: I watched it too and I thought Zimmerman should have had a triple, if not for thinking it went and out and not running hard until he realized it didn't. Is it to much to ask, to run hard until you the ball actually go out???

It's confusing that RZim's watching that ball has become such a flash point, especially since it wouldn't have changed our run total that inning.

I think it's part of a reaction to the "lack of intensity" that lots of folks, including some on the team, have commented on. It's just the last thing folks want to see from anybody on a team that's floating around .500.

MurrayTheRed said... Mark - What is the latest on Danny Espinosa? We haven't heard much of anything. Did he agree to have any surgery - or is he still going to "Tuff-it-out" and do rehab, and thereby end his career.

Me: Shocking on the radio call, they said Espinosa is about to start a rehab stint at AAA this week. Hard to beleive...

Am I the only one who thought that Davey should have pitch hit for Ohlendor when the bases where loaded with 2 out in the 6th inning?

I think you need to try to break that game open (4-0 at the time) and the next inning they were warming guys in the pen anyway ready to remove him mid-inning. Take a shot with a hitter with the bases full and you at best only get another inning from your starter...

It's not rational, it just stands out. If Fowler catches it, no one mentions it twice. And it's not as if people think, "Well, he plays hard on defense, so he can lollygag at the plate." Not that he was--I was sure the ball was out, too, off the bat--but anything that looks like cazhing it is going to be noticed, even if it is no such thing.

"I think it's part of a reaction to the "lack of intensity" that lots of folks, including some on the team, have commented on. It's just the last thing folks want to see from anybody on a team that's floating around .500."

It's amazing the lengths people will go to because they have to find a negative on a night with very few of them.

Zimmerman's double with Kobernus on first was a towering fly ball that seemed likely to either clear the fence or be caught against it. If you don't understand why Zimmerman didn't (and couldn't) run hard out of the box, check Rules 7.08(d) and (h) of the Rules of Baseball.

"Laddie Blah Blah, we talk about intangibles all the time and how when a certain player is slumping he can put the player hitting in front of him in a slump. That seems to be what happened with Ian Desmond."

We probably don't talk about that enough. It's one reason why I don't put as much faith in sabre metrics as others do. I really don't blame Danny for what happened. I blame management for putting him out there to fail, over and over again. It cannot be good for team morale to watch that happen, game after game, knowing that one guy will kill so many rallies just by walking up to the plate and striking out.

Gio, Detwiler, Rendon, Werth and, perhaps, Ohlendorf will change the team dynamic with their easy-going, playful, good-natured approach to the game. It is a game, after all, and should be fun for players and fans alike.

That is a lot better approach than what we saw between LA and Arizona last night.

Aw, Eric, it was all my fault.I stuck up for Zimm, then I went out for a reach, based on a commentary from FP. I was wrong on several counts. I admit it, my shoulders are wide, I can take the beating.Now that said, I got defensive because there were comments starting on the "Who's Hot/Who's not" blog putting Zimm down, which I foolishly let get under my skin. Then after Zimm had gotten the XBH and driven in a run, he was fairly criticized for admiring what he thought was a home run. But then I got defensive when it came across that his hustle was being called into question. I was admittedly overly defensive. And I'm still an idiot in that regard, I guess, because I don't believe that he didn't get to 3rd from lack of hustle. So, I will take my time time in the stocks while getting pelted by virtual rotten fruits and vegetables.GYFNG!!!

(d) He fails to retouch his base after a fair or foul ball is legally caught before he, or his base, is tagged by a fielder. He shall not be called out for failure to retouch his base after the first following pitch, or any play or attempted play. This is an appeal play;

They can't give Espinosa his job back, just can't, w/ Rendon hitting .300+. My personal preference would be he spends 2-3 mos. at AAA to even out his stroke and get into a repeatable rhythm at the plate. That requires optioning him and further damaging his very fragile (for a "tough" guy) psyche.

I keep hearing/reading this kind of stuff. Has anyone here ever interviewed Espinosa? Has he ever said anything that indicated he's an emotional delicate snowflake?

Or is this simply projection? I.E., "Wow, if I were in Espinosa's situation, I'd be an emotional wreck. Therefore, he must be an emotional wreck.

Maybe.

Or maybe it just doesn't occur to him to be an emotional wreck because, as Annie Savoy once observed, " The world is made for people who aren't cursed with self awareness."

People seem to have no problem psychoanalyzing people they've never met.

Candide, I grew up Mets fan and read that article with zeal. I bought it hook line and sinker to the point where, when my practice husband said, Jane, look at the DATE and the AUTHOR" I refused to believe it culd be a joke. I still sometimes wonder what ever happened to Sydd, like I wonder about (poor real and also dead) Goose. Thanks for bringing up a fun memory!

so is the master plan in 2014 and on as follows if Espi comes back strong... Rendon at 3rd, Desi SS, Espi 2b Zim and ALR platoon at 1b with ALR eventually filling in Chad Tracy's role as the top PH...or am I way off?

My point was that Zimmerman was hamstrung by Kobernus. And I think most people know that, despite my snarkiness. So why the criticism? I haven't seen any footage of the runners while the ball was in the air, but my guess is that Kobernus was between first and second, closer to second, and that Zimmerman was probably just a bit behind him, enough to give him breathing room. Zimmerman didn't need to run fast out of the box to get to where he was supposed to be; he could have walked to his spot because that ball was in the air forever.

If he should have made it to third and didn't, it's because either Kobernus was too conservative on his position on the basepaths (understandable given that he's a rookie and got rung up straying too far from 1st on a fly ball just a few days ago), or because Zim misjudged how fast the ball could be relayed back to the infield. Either way, it had nothing to do with laziness or lack of focus.

bowdenball said...If you don't understand why Zimmerman didn't (and couldn't) run hard out of the box, check Rules 7.08(d) and (h) of the Rules of Baseball.

7.08(h) says, "Any runner is out when...(h) He passes a preceding runner before such runner is out;" (emphasis mine)

Zimmerman would have been out the instant his drive was caught. So Kobernus could have passed Zimmerman on his way back to first (being sure to touch second on the way) and he would have been just fine.

Re: Krol, I don't know if he's only pitched when I've been out of town or otherwise indisposed, but I think that's the first time I actually saw him in action. Very nice. Between him and Abad our bullpen is suddenly a horse of a much more pleasing color.

Desmond and Rendon were money, both in the field and at the plate.

And, you left Ohlendorf off, Ghost! From whence did *this* dude come from, and can we go back for seconds?!

Actually we have not heard anything from Espi as he cleared his locker and left before anyone else got there. Contrast that with Tyler who faced reporters for as long ad they wanted and took responsibility and had a great attitude He talked with his teammates and vowed to get on track.. Listen, I have tried really hard to be fair, but those of us who watch everything -- you see what you see. Do you need it spelled out to get an idea of what is going on? How often have the people who are around him called him hard headed? We are not making this stuff up. I truly hope he changes course and fulfills his abilities.

Laddie Blah Blah said... "Laddie Blah Blah, we talk about intangibles all the time and how when a certain player is slumping he can put the player hitting in front of him in a slump. That seems to be what happened with Ian Desmond."

We probably don't talk about that enough. It's one reason why I don't put as much faith in sabre metrics as others do. I really don't blame Danny for what happened. I blame management for putting him out there to fail, over and over again. It cannot be good for team morale to watch that happen, game after game, knowing that one guy will kill so many rallies just by walking up to the plate and striking out.

Gio, Detwiler, Rendon, Werth and, perhaps, Ohlendorf will change the team dynamic with their easy-going, playful, good-natured approach to the game. It is a game, after all, and should be fun for players and fans alike.

That is a lot better approach than what we saw between LA and Arizona last night.

June 13, 2013 9:26 AM

That is the truth. It's what you can see in Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond in 3 players that do the little things that aren't calculated in WAR. Rendon is doing the same thing. Last I looked you get no WAR points for making the guy hitting in front of you better because he feels more confident.

How many WAR points did Bryce Harper get for driving pitchers bonkers when he's on the basees. How many WAR points does Werth get for seeing 5+ pitches on most ABs and making a productive out?

How many WAR points does Ian Desmond get for calming down his pitcher and talking strategy in the dugout or always saying the right things about his teammates.

Intangibles add up and get shown in real W's in the standings and not in WAR.

Don't be too hard on yourself, Joe. There is, in fact, no way Zim could have made it to third if he had been going full out the whole way, as Bowdenball points out, because the runner in front of him had to hold up on a ball that might very well have been caught. Kobernus did well to advance on that, considering.

I was just trying to answer Candide's question about why it might bother people who perceived it as admiring a ball that didn't get out.

Joe...my nickname for Kobernus is Cowboy...I have a very warped sense of humor...he looks like the infamous actor Herbert Cowboy Coward...who only starred in one movie but it was a very famous movie in which a famous and very good actor who has been in over 50 movies in starring roles is unfortunately only remembered by idiots like myself for one scene in this movie...Cowboy's famous line is "Don't say anything, just do it"

Candide I only have the previous quotes from earlier in Espi's career which were kind of cocky, which isn't a bad thing. What speaks volumes to me is how he hasnt said a word this time. Not a peep. Moore manned up, knew why it was happening and said he'd work to be back. Danny has said zilch.

Bowdenball, IIRC, the replays showed Kobernus several feet beyond second, watching the play, and Zimmerman was not at second yet. Kobernus took off as soon as the ball dropped; FP said it was heads-up baserunning by Kobernus to be watching the play.

Well, you don't want him RIGHT behind Kobernus. What if one of them picks up that the ball has fallen or was caught before the other? What if one of them gets it wrong initially and takes a few steps in that direction? You have to give the guy in front of you 15-20 feet just to avoid basepath collisions.

Do you know where they guys were when the ball arrived at the wall? I haven't seen any football of them on the bases during that play. For all I know they were just 15-20 feet away. And even if they weren't, that's not laziness out of the box or lollygagging or a focus issue, that's just a run of the mill minor baserunning error, the kind of thing that happens all the time.

I saw it in last nights thread. Credit to GoNat. I think that nickname will piss off a few Phoolie fans with their J-Roll. For a pitcher, how great is it to have a name like K-Roll. Surprised FP didn't come up with that.

Kobernus is a tough one. I think he calls himself JKobe. He is looking to me like a better bench version than Lombardozzi if he can play 2nd base defense.

Francis is pitching today and he's also a Lefty. I would go with the same lineup but get Lombo in LF and Kobernus to RF and give Werth a rest. Marrero at 1st base?

bowdenball said...And even if they weren't, that's not laziness out of the box or lollygagging or a focus issue, that's just a run of the mill minor baserunning error, the kind of thing that happens all the time.

Agree. I don't know why Zimmerman didn't end up at third or even with an inside-the-park HR. Might have been a mental lapse, or a situation where there was too much happening in a relatively unfamiliar situation for the brain to process.

It all ended well, as it turned out, but we all know that the Nats have lost too many runs this season on baserunning miscues.

"Intangibles add up and get shown in real W's in the standings and not in WAR."

Ditto that, Ghost. I give Rizzo all the credit in the world for the character and makeup of the Nats. Look at some of the other teams that were supposed to be lights out, this year - the Dodgers, Angels, Jays. They got talent, but they also got a lot of baggage that went with it.

It is also one reason why I think Danny's stay in the minors will be longer than Danny thinks it will be. Danny is disgruntled and seems a bit embittered. TyMo, on the other hand, took the move down as an opportunity to improve his game, as did Karns. Those two are more likely to be back a lot sooner than Danny, IMO.

Imagine the effect on the team if they send Rendon back down and replace him with Danny Espinosa. It's already all but unthinkable.

Laddie, re: Espi, unless he completely turns everything around right out of the gate (or Rendon has a precipitous fall), I'm thinking he will rehab for the full 21 days and then a decision will be made about whether or not to option him. I think Moore's return is probably more assured, as his role is less central and it won't be as harmful if he comes back and bombs again.

I don't see Karns coming back anytime soon, though...what makes you think we'll see him again?

Candide I never said he was emotionally fragile but his behavior since his 'demotion' is more like a spoiled child then a professional team player. Is he one? I have no idea but in no way can you take hiding from the media as a sign that he is handling this well. Maybe he needs time to sulk, maybe he likes to be alone, maybe he is embarrassed, maybe he is so busy working on his rehab he has to time to comment but you cannot discount that maybe, just maybe, Danny is handling this situation like someone who doesn't understand that a .150 batting average doesn't belong in the major leagues no matter what the cause.

OK, this horse is so dead he's rotting, but if you watch this all the way thru, not just the first footage of Kobernus on the basepaths, but the second one showing him [rightfully] dancing past 2nd base, it may give a reason why Zimm wasn't right behind him. Try to see it from the hitting baserunner's perspective after he rounded 1B. I haven't found a shot that shows exactly where Zimm was when Kobernus did his jig back towards 2nd before taking off like he'd been shot out of a canon, but I think this shows some explanation why Zimm didn't get to 3rd. And it wasn't from lallygagging, imho.

Swami and all those who characterize Espinosa as "disgruntled, etc." and TyMoore as a great guy--we are on different pages. I sure HOPE Danny was disgruntled, because if he just went merrily, happily on to the DL and the minors, what would that say? Tyler Moore is in a completely different situation. His bat is basically all he has to offer.

As I said yesterday, Danny would still be playing--despite his bat--if he hadn't (a) broken his wrist and (b) other players were providing the offense. See Orioles, Baltimore (or any number of teams who carry a light-hitting middle infielder).

It got dark in DC real quick... I swear it was like someone turned the dimmer down...

Anywho, what a great game last night huh... I was pleased with all, excpet C Tracy but whatever... even that blemish wont upset me from what happened...

Was watching the Davey press conference and heard him say that he was going to try to find a way to keep Ross O... Doesnt bode well for Haren... Be interesting if we hear that his hip is acting up...

Haren may need to run some laps or work out harder or something becuz his endurance is an issue... We cant use the Rockies altitude excuse anymore for Haren as we saw what happened while Ross O was pitching...

Here's the latest intel on Bryce Harper. He's in Washington relaxing in his brace and eating free Chipotle and to use NatsLady's term 'immobilization'.

Dr. Weimi will examine him again as soon as Friday morning and check him again next week. The swelling is way down and he's feeling better. Some time next week they will get him to Hagerstown or Potomac for a couple of rehab starts if all goes well.

The Espinosa situation is actually resolved. His trade value is low relative to his potential so that ain't happening. He ain't taking Rendon's spot. He is officially a minor league player that will have to earn future opportunities by playing well. Nothing wrong with that. Pouting would be counter to his own self interest...but that's up to him. BTW, I am an Espi fan and think he has loads of potential. I hope he figures it out, but those are just the facts.

"Is Desi now seeing better pitches having Rendon batting behind him or just feeling more confident."

Yes. Or it might be something entirely different. That's why they are called "intangibles." You can see their effect without exactly knowing the nature of the cause. It is probably a pretty safe bet that the team will get a lift when SS and Harper are welcomed back. Of course, they have skill sets that make a tangible difference in team ability, but they will bring more than that with them when they return, like the Greeks getting Achilles back at just the right time.

But not Danny has to see the light; there is a brighter star then him shining in the Nats sky now. Of course you don't want a player to be happy with a backup role but Danny could be an amazing utility player - a superLombo - but you wonder if he could mentally adapt to that role and acccept a lesser role. Barring injuries, time will tell. No way Rendon goes back to taking the bus in the minors.

Anywho, what a great game last night huh... I was pleased with all, excpet C Tracy but whatever... even that blemish wont upset me from what happened...

You noticed that with Tracy. His at-bats have gotten worse if that's possible. Last nights contact went 240 feet in the light Coors air.

What does it take to get Corey Brown on this bench or even Eury Perez or anyone who can provide more than Tracy.

He's the last piece from the Opening Day roster that has to go. Make him an assistant coach if you need to. I love the guy from a bench and clubhouse perspective as he is such a good guy but this is about upgrading.

"I don't see Karns coming back anytime soon, though...what makes you think we'll see him again?"

I don't know if we'll see Karns, again. But his odds are better than Espinosa's because his attitude is more constructive than Espinosa's. Danny seemed to have developed a sense of unearned entitlement, and that is largely due to management's treatment of him as, somehow, being entitled to keep his job without doing anything to deserve it.

I doubt if there is another team in baseball which would have kept Espinosa at second base if that team had Rendon availbale as a replacement.

"I don't know why Zimmerman didn't end up at third or even with an inside-the-park HR. Might have been a mental lapse, or a situation where there was too much happening in a relatively unfamiliar situation for the brain to process."

Zimmerman's not a triples hitter. Why? Because he's S-L-O-W. For him to end up at third on that hit, he would have had to be sprinting around the bases from the moment his bat met the ball. The only problem last night was that there was a runner ahead of him who stopped between second and third. As soon as Kobernus stopped, Zimmerman had to slow down behind him. And there went any possibility of a triple. If Zimmerman had tried to advance to third once it was clear whether the ball was caught or not, he'd have been thrown out easily.

Candide I never said he was emotionally fragile but his behavior since his 'demotion' is more like a spoiled child then a professional team player.

Is it? Has he blasted the team, the owners, or the management? Has he complained about being sent down? If he did, I must have missed it. The worst thing that I can find is that he referred to being sent to Syracuse as rehab rather than a demotion, and that seems to be the official party line anyway.

He hasn't said anything to the press. So what? Maybe he decided that if he opens his mouth, there's a good chance he'll say something he regrets, or something innocent that will be twisted into something that'll make him wish he'd kept his mouth shut.

Think it can't happen? A few months ago, right after the Newton murders, Denard Span tweeted something like, "Reading about this - really makes you think." And people jumped all over him like he'd advocated pouring gasoline on puppies and setting them on fire.

I'm not an Espi fan, at least not with a bat in his hands, but let's not try to read his mind until we've sat down and had a nice long talk with him.

GoSm - Tracy is something like .138... All he does is pop-up... DJ should have pulled Ross O at the end of the 5th and PH'd for him with Tracy... At least Tracy would have made a productive out, in the way of a run...

But I didnt like us re-signing C Tracy last year... And I dont understand why he is still getting the opportunity...

Maybe when Bryce comes back, they will make some changes and maybe he will be 1 of them...

Here's the latest intel on Bryce Harper. He's in Washington relaxing in his brace and eating free Chipotle and to use NatsLady's term 'immobilization'.

"Dr. Weimi will examine him again as soon as Friday morning and check him again next week. The swelling is way down and he's feeling better. Some time next week they will get him to Hagerstown or Potomac for a couple of rehab starts if all goes well.

They just don't want to rush it until he is 100% this time."

June 22 is Bryce Harper bobblehead day. How great would it be if he returned for that?

MrsB loves the Nats said... GoSm - Tracy is something like .138... All he does is pop-up... DJ should have pulled Ross O at the end of the 5th and PH'd for him with Tracy... At least Tracy would have made a productive out, in the way of a run...

Re: Ohlendorf.That's the third start in a row that I've watched and he's looked exactly the same each time which is very good. He seems to be able to move his pitches up and down or in and out at will. I initially was concerned the first change ups that I saw were up but he seemed to want to throw them there and followed up with change ups down.

Caps Fan said...The only problem last night was that there was a runner ahead of him who stopped between second and third. As soon as Kobernus stopped, Zimmerman had to slow down behind him. And there went any possibility of a triple. If Zimmerman had tried to advance to third once it was clear whether the ball was caught or not, he'd have been thrown out easily.

Wait a minute.

Kobernus was just ahead of Zimmerman, on the other side of second, and he came around to score.

And you're saying that Zimmerman couldn't even have made it to third when he was already almost to second?

But Candide did you not think Moore handled it like you would want a player to?

Sure. He knew all the right things to say. Obviously Crash Davis has his ear.

But not saying, "Yeah, I've been stinking up the joint and they're right to send me down and I'm going to do everything I can to come back," is not - repeat NOT - evidence that you have a sense of entitlement. It's only evidence that you're not talking about it. And sometimes that's the smart thing to do.

Probably not. Kobernus can't run ten times faster than I can; I can run 5 mph for a half hour without breathing hard, and I'm 62 years old and I've had a heart attack. If Kobernus can top 50 mph, someone needs to check BioGenesis's records again to see if he's been ordering stuff we've never even heard of.

"He only played in 79 minor league games total before he was called up the second time."

Ryan only played in 68 games in the minors before being called up for good, at the age of 20. Strasburg was in the minors only long enough for the Nats to be able to finesse the requirements of the CBA before he was called up for good. Espinosa had played only 8 games at 2nd base in the minors before being given the 2nd base job in the majors. Harper had only played one year of college ball (Juco, at that) and was doing poorly in the minors when he was called up for good.

lol, I guess we need hyperbole punctuation to go with irony punctuation... ;)

My point is, Kobernus seems to be much faster than RZim and the chances of being thrown out at home are lower than being thrown out at third, all other things being equal, with the ball coming from the wall in left-center.

Sec. 3, I forgive you for your foolish oversight of either not reading, or not remembering, my posts from March. If you take the trouble to check this site's archives, you find that I was beating the drum for Rendon throughout most of spring training.

I think you need more than one start to identify a hot hand. Given their respective history I think it's more likely that Haren pitches a good game next time out than Ohlendorf.

BTW, do we know for sure that Stras is making his next start? if not then Ohlendorf gets one more chance to see if he's really hot.

We should just remember that lots of pitchers have come up and thrown a few real good games before fizzling out (Martis, O'cconor). I believe that the cream always rises to the top so if Ohlendorf has really figured something out he will find his way into a rotation.

But seriously, Zimm's almost at second base. The ball bounces off the outfielder's glove, big collision, outfielders both rolling around on the warning track, groping for the ball, the winner has to get up and throw the ball in.

And you're saying Zimm couldn't have made it to third? Hell, I could have made it running backwards one-legged and carrying Zimm on my back.

I'll vouch for Laddie on this one. He has been beating Rendon's drum since spring training. I didn't agree with him and I still think that the timing of the promotion was appropriate but one must give credit whenever it's due.

I am actually stunned at how comfortable Rendon looks at 2nd base, I think he can be a ++ defender at that position and we all can see he can hit. I just hope he stays healthy.

No, I'm saying I don't think you can compare Kobernus' situation with Zim's. I have no idea whether or not Zim could've made third. I'm not concerned enough (read: at all) by Zim's actions to induce me to spend the time looking for footage showing Zim's position relative Kobernus and the timing of the debacle in left field.

"I'm not an Espi fan, at least not with a bat in his hands, but let's not try to read his mind until we've sat down and had a nice long talk with him."

You don't have to be a mind-reader to observe a man's actions or listen to what he has to say, or not say. There was an observable, objective difference to the way Danny handled his DL assignment and the way that Karns and Moore handled their demotions. People are going to draw whatever conclusions their cognitive abilities and life experiences have informed their judgmental faculties.

Last night was great to see. The booted grounder against the Twins struck me as a matter of rushing the play. The throw to second on the DP attempt last night was VERY fast paced, and he played it perfectly: nice and slow.

Very encouraging, far more so, imo, than the incredible leaping grab against the Twins.

Laddie Blah Blah said... "He only played in 79 minor league games total before he was called up the second time."

Ryan only played in 68 games in the minors before being called up for good, at the age of 20. Strasburg was in the minors only long enough for the Nats to be able to finesse the requirements of the CBA before he was called up for good. Espinosa had played only 8 games at 2nd base in the minors before being given the 2nd base job in the majors. Harper had only played one year of college ball (Juco, at that) and was doing poorly in the minors when he was called up for good.

June 13, 2013 10:33 AM

Rendon was born to hit. His MiLB games mean more towards acclimation to the Nats way of doing things and if he were to learn a new system.

Did you add to that his AFL games?

The kid was ready with the bat. My only fear is that he tries to be a power hitter.

Did you see what that did to Zim's hot streak after that 3 HR game in Baltimore?

"You don't have to be a mind-reader to observe a man's actions or listen to what he has to say, or not say."

The problem here, imo, is that our observations are continually refracted and filtered by the media. We see, what, .05% of their day-to-day, off-field actions? Barring people with more direct access than the average fan, that is...

Then, what we do see is further refracted and filtered by our own aggravations and hopes.

Read NatsJack's words about his last few MiLB starts. Also 1 pitching start is equal to 5 days in position player's terms.

You can't get too high or too low about the 1 start which is why I want to see it happen again.

Baseball is a game of oddities. Sometimes you just go with it and try to figure it out afterwards. Every piece of baseball smarts was to tell you the Nats should've lost BIG last night. De La Rosa as their best pitcher against a sub-par journeyman.

Remember that night in Baltimore when Freddie Garcia looked like Cy Young? You have to give it a try and Garcia just beat Jerred Weaver and the Angels on Monday night. Go figure. He's still an inconsistent mess much like Haren but maybe Ohlendorf figured something out and could be a consistent surprise. I think it's worth another look to put Haren in the BP for now to find out.

I don't take myself that seriously. For every Zimmerman and Harper you have Smoak, Hosmer, Moustakas and on and on. There is a real danger in bringing up your prospects too quickly. Sometimes they fail and never really recover.

It's no accident that Tavares who is considered the no. 1 prospect in baseball has yet to be called up by the Cards and Myers has not yet been called up by the Rays (who really need offense).

I think Rizzo was appropriately cautious until the situation forced his hand, same with Harper last year. So far so good.

Laddie Blah Blah said... "I'll vouch for Laddie on this one. He has been beating Rendon's drum since spring training. I didn't agree with him ..."

"I didn't agree with him...?" Shame on you, JD. I've written that down.

June 13, 2013 10:51 AM

The day this kid was drafted I wrote here "2nd base or LF" as he sure wasn't going to un-seed RZim at 3rd base and I was ridiculed then and every time I mentioned it.

I'm glad a few of us kept saying it over and over again and stuck to our beliefs on it. Finally Rizzo saw the light.

As I said with Placido Polanco, a position on your baseball card means nothing as very few players have any guarantees on positions. If RZ needed a rest tomorrow Rendon could play 3rd and Lombo could play 2nd.

Rendon is a gamer. He justs wants to play and should do so as long as he is producing. There's no entitlement here, it has to be earned.

"Rendon was born to hit. His MiLB games mean more towards acclimation to the Nats way of doing things and if he were to learn a new system.

"Did you add to that his AFL games?

"The kid was ready with the bat. My only fear is that he tries to be a power hitter.

"Did you see what that did to Zim's hot streak after that 3 HR game in Baltimore?"

I didn't include the AFL games, but they should count, too.

I don't think he has to try and be a power hitter. His bat speed and ability to square up the baseball will get him plenty of HRs, as they always have, in the past. That 420 ft' shot he hit, to the opposite field, in game one, shows just what kind of power he has in that skinny frame. No wonder he's always smiling. He did that without even trying. That might have been the longest shot anyone has hit in the entire series, on either team.

"Rendon was born to hit."

Man, ain't that the truth. What fun it will be for Nats fans to watch both Harper and Rendon for the next 10 - 12 years.

Interesting take on Zim. I hadn't thought of that, but it would be a mistake for him to overswing. When he is at his best, he just tries to drive the ball, and the HRs come as a consequence that fundamentally sound approach.

I keep waiting for him to go on a tear. We will know when he is on his way when Zim starts hitting low line drives that bounce just beyond the IF grass, but streak all the way to the OF wall before the defense can come close to cutting them off.

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Mark Zuckerman has covered the Nationals since the franchise arrived in D.C. He's been a member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America since 2001 and is a Hall of Fame voter. Email mzuckerman@comcastsportsnet.com.